Ver. 29.-" The bellows are burned." The text is a homely aud unusual oue, but its graphic force may help all the more to impress the truth taught by it. " The prophet likens the people of Israel to a mass of metal. This mass of metal claimed to he precious ore, such as gold or silver. It was put into the furnace, the object being to fuso it, so that the pure metal should be extracted from the dross. Lead was put iu with the ore to act as a flux (that being relied upon by the ancient smelters as quicksilver now is in these more instructed days). A fire was kindled, and then the bellows were used to create an intense heat, the bellows being tho prophet himself. He complains tbat he spoke with much pathos, much energy, much force of heal't, that he exhausted himself, without being able to melt the people's hearts; so hard was the. ore that the bellows were burned before the metal was melted-the prophet was exhausted before the people were impressed ; ho had worn out his lungs, his powers of utterance; he had exhausted his mind, his powers of thought; he had broken his heart, his power~ of emotion; but he could not divide his people from their sins, and separate the precious from the vile" (C. H. Spurgeon). Now, from the text learn- I. IT IS THE PURPOSE OF Goo BO TO MELT AND SUDDUE TITE HEART OF MAN THAT HE MAY MOULD IT AFRESH, AND ACCORDING TO HIS OWN GRACIOUS WILL. Now to this end there are needed: 1. A Divine fire which shall bear upon the heart of mnn. But the Holy Spirit is such a fire, which, if it be quenched, woe is unto us I 2. That that fire shall glow with fervent heat. II. To SE0UBE THIS HE MAKES USE OF MANY AND VARIED APPLIANCES WHICH THE PROPHET HERE LIKENS TO " BELLOWS." 1. The prophets own ministry in the case of Judah and Jerusalem at that time. 2. The faithful ministl'y of his truth by his prophets now. 3. His Law, his Word, the varied means of grace. 4. His mercies, especially the mercy of God in Ohrist. 5. His chastisements and ;"udgments. These more especially referred to here. Such are some of these appliances. UL Now, IT IS POSSIBLE FOB ALL THESE TO BECOME UTTERJ,Y INEFFECTUAL. This is what is here meant. God's m~engers, Law, mercies, chastisemenls,-all in vain. And such things happen now. There are those whom nought can move. What ·is the cause 1 Not that the Divine heat did not bear upon tho heart that was to be melted. Not that those appliances were left unused whereby the unders_tanding, the . c?usc_iencc, the 11.lfections, and the will might be rendered more susc~pt1ble of the D1v1110 rn!lueuces. £lut the obduracy o/_ the heart. The pel'versity and evil of that baffled all the earnest endeavours of God s grace in regard to that heart. IV. Now, WHEN "THE BELLOWS ARE DURNED," WHEN ALL MU:ANS IIAVE BEEN 176 THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. [ou. vI.1-30.
TRIED AND FAil.ED TO WIN THE HEART FOR GoD, NO CONDITION OAN DE MOlll!l AWFUL OR DEPLORABLE, 1. It is sad for God's ministers. Jeremiah, Paul, Christ, and thousands of his ministers since have prayed and wept over obdurate hearts. 2. But it is far morB sad for these hard-hearted ones themselves. (1) 'l'hey are without excuse. (2) There is no hope of their repentance. (3) 'l'hey are in danger of eternal sin. CoNCLUSIO~. 1. Christ's ministers must expect that, so far as they can see, they will, at times, labour in vain in regard to the salvation of souls. The bellows will be burned, and the ore remain unmel.ted still. 2. They are to be sustained by the thought that God will deal with them, not according to the results of their work, but according to its fidelity. 3. Let the impenitent be warned.-C.